Fried Pork Chops

There’s an art to making Southern Fried Pork Chops, and I’m gonna teach you how to do it right. This recipe starts by perfectly tenderizing the chops in a spicy buttermilk liquid before dredging in a flavorful flour batter and pan frying til golden brown, crisp and dang on delish. Once you try this fried pork chops recipe, you will know why the South regards this comfort food with so much respect.

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pan fried pork chops on a wire rack draining after frying

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Five star review

โ€œHands down, the best pork chops Iโ€™ve ever made!!โ€

โ€”ERIN.

When your mama is from Mississippi, you know a thing or two about fried pork chops. You grow up eating quite a few a week because its just the Southern way. And you learn how to fry them up right. This recipe is an ode to my mama’s teachings with a little Grandbaby Cakes flava!

The Lowdown of The Best Fried Pork Chop Recipe

Closeup of Jocelyn in pink dress smiling

Cuisine Inspiration: Southern Comfort

Primary Cooking Method: Pan-Fried

Dietary Info: This ainโ€™t for my calorie-conscious boos but it can be made Gluten-Free with substitutions

Key Flavor: Savory with a hint of spice thatโ€™s crispy and tender

Skill Level: Intermediate

It takes legit skill to achieve this textural combo but my technique will teach you exactly how to guarantee moist pork wrapped in a crispy, flavorful crust.

Itโ€™s straight up Southern hospitality when you serve these pork chops up. They stay winning at family suppers, cookouts and any place where folks want to eat well.

Flexibility is key! Serve with mashed potatoes, collard greens, or any side you love. These chops ainโ€™t picky. They are at home with whatever you pair them with.

If you have any left (and thatโ€™s a big if!), they make great next-day lunches or dinner do overs.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Southern Fried Pork Chops

Ingredients to make southern fried pork chops in white bowls on a white background
  • Pork chops: Make sure you grab bone-in about an inch in thickness for these with some fat marbling peeking through. That bone is gonna retain juiciness while they fry as well as give you more flavor.
  • Buttermilk: This liquid is gonna tenderize and add some delish tang to those chops.
  • Hot sauce: You gotta add a kick boos! That spice ups the overall taste.
  • Self-rising flour: The leavening creates a lighter yet still crispy coating when they are fried up.
  • Seasoned salt: We gotta get these chops well-seasoned so this is the first step.
  • Black pepper: This balances the salt with a mild bounce of heat.
  • Ground garlic powder: This adds a savory depth of flavor to the flour mixture.
  • Cayenne pepper: This provides more heat and is the perfect spicy compliment to the hot sauce.
  • Paprika: Grab smoked paprika. It’s giving vibrant color and more flavor.
  • Canola oil: We use these to fry the pork chops so we get that golden-brown and crispy crust.

How to Make Fried Pork Chops

Step 1: Let’s Season, Marinate and Prep Our Dry Ingredients

  1. Start by seasoning the pork chops with salt and black pepper on both sides.
  2. Next, let’s get into the wet ingredients. Whisk hot sauce into buttermilk and add the pork chops to the buttermilk. Let those babies soak for about an hour to flavor and tenderize.
  3. Mix up the dry next. In a large zip top bag, add flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika and mix until combined.

PRO TIP: Pat those pork chops down with paper towels before you start the recipe. This will make sure dredging ingredients will stick well.

PRO TIP: For easier clean up, I opted to use a large plastic bag to dredge the pork chops in seasoned flour. Alternatively, you could mix the seasoned flour into a large bowl and individually dip/coat each piece. 

A collage of pork chops seasoned with salt and pepper then buttermilk and hot sauce being mixed before pork chops go in the buttermilk and a dry ingredient dredge being made

Step 2: Dredge the Pork Chops and Set

  1. Put pork chops into seasoned flour and coat really well. If you want super crispy, add back into buttermilk and then back into seasoned flour.
  2. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Let the chops set for at least 20 minutes with the flour before frying.
A collage of pork chops being added to a dry ingredient mixture then set on a baking sheet lined with parchment

Step 3: Fry Those Pork Chops and Drain

  1. Heat oil over medium high heat of about 350 F.  
  2. Fry until golden brown on both sides.  This can take about 3-4 minutes each side for thinner chops and up to 7 minutes per side for chops that are 1-inch thick.
  3. Once fried, remove and add to wire rack with paper towel lined baking sheet to drain. Let them drain for at least 10 minutes before serving.
A collage of breaded pork chops being frying then taking a single fried pork chop out of oil then added to wire racks to drain

What to Serve with Buttermilk Fried Pork Chops

The best fried pork chops recipe on a white plate served with green peas and mashed potatoes with another plate in the white background

Recipe Substitutions

  • Pork Chops: While bone-in is my fave to use here, boneless works just fine. Just make sure you don’t overcook since they tend to be dryer.
  • Flour: If ya ain’t got self-rising flour, all-purpose is just fine. You can also make your own self-rising too! For every cup of all-purpose flour needed, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, whisk it up and use it up.
  • Buttermilk: If you ran out of buttermilk, create this substitution. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice to 2 cups of regular milk. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it curdles and use it for the marinade.
  • Spices: Kosher salt along with additional spices can replace seasoned salt. Regular paprika is just fine to use instead of smoked and you can replace the cayenne with a pinch of red pepper flakes.
  • Oil: You just need a neutral oil here so vegetable oil, canola oil or even peanut oil will work. Just don’t use olive oil boos.

Recipe Variations and Additions

  • Gluten Free: Replace the self-rising flour with a 1:1 ratio gluten-free flour alternative. The crust might change slightly but they will still be hittin.
  • Smother Them Up: After you fry them, create a gravy and make bomb smothered pork chops.
  • Stuff Them: Use the stuffing from my crab stuffed salmon and create a incredible remix on the classic. That’s some good eatin!
  • Crunch It Up: You can make the crust even crunchier if you add some bread crumbs, panko or even crushed cornflakes to the dry ingredients.

Expert Tips and Tricks for Pan Fried Pork Chops

  • Dry The Pork: Make sure you give those chops a nice pat down with paper towels before you start the recipe. This is going to ensure that the coating sticks well.
  • Adjust As Needed: The spices in this recipe are like a guideline. You can adjust baed on your preferences so it tastes just how you like it.
  • Let the Chops Chill: After you bread the pork chops, let them rest for about 20 minutes. This is going to let that crust build and stay put when you fry.
  • Frying Heat: Make sure that frying oil is around 350ยฐ before you get to sizzling. If you put them in too early, the skin will be soggy. If the temperature is higher than 375ยฐF, your crust could burn before your chops even cook on the inside.
  • Don’t Overcrowd: Too many pork chops will give you an undercooked and greasy result, and we ain’t got time for that.
  • Be Safe: Make sure your chops are cooked to an internal temperature of 145ยฐF before you serve them up. Grab the meat thermometer to check.
  • Drain: I like to add my fried pork chops to a wire rack over a paper towel lined baking sheet. This removes extra oil and allows the chops to rest and redistribute their juices. 
A southern fried pork chop cut in half to show the juicy texture inside on a white plate

How to Store Breaded Fried Pork Chops

  • Fridge: Make sure your Southern fried pork chops are cooled to room temp then wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap or add to an air-tight container and pop in the fridge. They will last for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer: You can store the same way but I prefer to add to a zip-top resealable bag releasing as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Label with the date stored and store up to 3 months. When ready to reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight.
  • Reheating: You can either reheat in the oven or the air fryer. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF and bake up to 15 minutes until heated through. My preferred way is to use the air-fryer, The crust stays super crunchy that way.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tenderize tough pork chops?

Use a mallet to really break down the meat and make the pork chops more tender prior to the marinating and cooking process.ย 

Which is better? Pan fried pork chops or deep fried pork chops?

This comes down to preference. A cast iron pan is easier to clean up but a deep fryer yields a faster cooking time. There are pros and cons to both methods, so go ahead with whatever is simplest for you!ย 

Why are my Pan Fried Pork Chops dry?

You more than likely overcooked them boo. Grab a meat thermometer. Pork chops definitely vary in thickness, which determines how long it takes to cook them up. Overcooking happens quicker than you think y’all. A well done pork chop is fully cooked when it reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t exceed that temperature.ย 

Can you reuse the oil after you fry pork chops?

Yep boos! You can. Make sure it cools down completely then strain with a sieve and store in an airtight container in a cool place.

More Fried Recipes to Try

*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!*
pan fried pork chops on a wire rack draining after frying

Southern Fried Pork Chops Recipe

Tender and juicy and downright addictive, these fried pork chops are marinated in a spicy buttermilk then breaded in a flavorful flour dredge creating the ultimate crunch and deliciousness.
4.53 from 73 votes
Prep Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Servings: 5 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lb bone in pork chops (about 3/4 inch in thickness) patted dry with paper towels
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 tsp hot sauce
  • 1 1/4 cup self rising flour
  • 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp seasoned salt plus to taste
  • 1 1/2 tsp black pepper plus to taste
  • 1/2 tsp ground garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper can go up to 3/4 tsp if you like a lot of spice
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika can go up to 1 teaspoon
  • 2 cups canola oil

Instructions

  • Season pork chops with salt and black pepper to taste on both sides.
  • Next whisk hot sauce into buttermilk and dip pork chops into buttermilk mixture. Allow to soak for an hour.
  • In a large plastic bag, add flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika and mix until combined.
  • Put pork chops into seasoned flour and coat really well. If you want super crispy, add back into buttermilk and then back into seasoned flour. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Let the chops set for at least 20 minutes with the flour before frying.
  • Heat oil over medium high heat of about 350 F.ย ย 
  • Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 2-4 minutes on each side depending on thickness of the chops.ย  Make sure your chops are cooked to an internal temperature of 145ยฐF before you serve them up.
  • Once fried, remove and add to a wire rack with a paper towel lined baking sheet before it to drain.
  • Let the chops rest for 10 minutes to get back juicy them serve them up.

Notes

Make sure you season both the pork chops and also the flour.ย  Using seasoned salt is a nice element to add additional flavor. It is usually salt seasoned with additional spices to create more depth for your dish.
Feel free to adjust spice elements like cayenne, hot sauce and paprika based on your preference. ย If you prefer more spice, definitely add a bit more. Just be careful when adding cayenne because it can pack major spice. ย 

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 1590mg | Potassium: 507mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 345IU | Vitamin C: 1.4mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 0.8mg
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Filed Under:  Dinner, Main Dishes, Pork, Southern Classics, Stovetop

Comments

  1. These were absolutely delicious. Nice coating and very juicy – not a bit dried. I will make these again and again.

  2. I would cook it in the oven before you fry it because the pork wonโ€™t be cooked all the way or the breading will burn if you wait too long so to prevent that just bake them before frying.

    1. Hi Emily, did you try my recipe, and it failed? Or are you just suggesting to oven-bake first before trying the recipe?

    1. I would just wait to batter until you’re ready to cook to avoid the flour becoming tacky.

4.53 from 73 votes (35 ratings without comment)

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